Counter for presses or other machines



(Model.)

H. M. ALDRI'CH.

COUNTER EOE PRESSES 0E OTEEE MACHINES.

No. 452,687. Patented May 19, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOHER M. AIJDRICII, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

COUNTER FOR PRESSES OR OTHER MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 452,687', dated May 19, 1891. Application filed June 25, 1890. Serial No. 356,725. (Model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOMER M. ALDRICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CountingApparatus Applicable to Printing -Presses and other Mechanism of Analog'ous Character, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to that class of counting-,machines employing a signaling device, whereby an alarm is sounded when the requisite number to which the machineis set is reached; and it consists in a combination of devices and novel arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference designate like parts in all the views.

- Figure l is a rear side view with the case removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing parts in elevation. Fig. 3 represents a view of the toothed wheel detached.- Fig. 4 is a like view of the tumbler. Fig. 5 is a detached vienr of the upright post or screw upon which the Wheels are journaled. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the toothed wheels. Fig. 7 is a view of one end of the arm J, showing the quadrant thereon.

The object of my present invention is to provide the counting apparatus with means for sounding a continuous alarm until recognized by the operator, and it is designed for especial adaptability to and as an improvement upon my invention in counters filed January 3, 1890, and serially numbered 335,746, and patented June 24, 1390, numbered 430,910.

A designates the case; I3, the removable plate having orifices through which the numbers on the rotatable toothed wheels K are visible; D, the arm, which is connected in any suitable manner with a moving part of the mechanism to which the device is applied, and at its inner end formed or provided With oppositely-extending arms D D one of which D actsas a pawl and engages the teeth of one of said Wheels, so as to rotate the same, and the other D of which engages thebell-hammer E', hereinafter described.4 v i F designates the spring for holding the arms D D in place and for automatically retract-y ing them after each throw, so as to cause the pawl D to engage the next tooth of the wheels K and the arm D to strike the bellhammer E. One end of this spring is wound around or otherwise suitably secured to the shank of a headed stud, screw, or other devicef, and its other end is pivotally secured to the free extremity of the arm D.

L designates the shafts, and l the springs thereon., which pass through said toothed wheels and upon which the same rotate.

M designates the tumblers, having vertical and rotatable movement on said shafts.

N designates the dog engaging the iirst toothed wheel; O, the spring pressing upon said dog, and I the spring bearing upon the other toothed wheel, said dog and springs being designed to prevent the inadvertent turning of the Wheels in the wrong direction.

J designates the releasing-bar, having the fingers j arranged to bear upon the adjacent faces of the tumblers.

Thus far my present invention is substantially identical in construction with that above referred to, and the parts enumerated vneed not therefore be more particularly described herein.

I will now proceed to describe myimprovements. n i

In my present invention the rod Jis eccentrically pivoted, as at y2, so as to fold over out of the way of the operator when manipulating the tumblers, and in addition to the fingers j it is provided with an arm or stop j', projecting parallel with said fingers and near the top and parallel with the upright end piece B of the plate I3 and having its eX- tremity turned slightly toward and almost in contact with a bell-supporting sliding post E, which passes through openings formed in lugs d', extending inwardly from said end piece B. A coil-spring s may be Wound around the sliding post to aid thc gravity 9 thereof in retracting or returning the said post and alarm-bell to its normal position for sounding the alarm.

The top of the arm j of the rod J is cut away on an inclined plane from the back to ICO the face side thereof, while its under side is beveled in a similar manner, so as to allow the post E to be lifted up for its engagement with said arm after the counting-machine has l sounded the signal. The opposite end of t'ne bar J, I provide with a quadrant h, (shown best in Fig. 7,) engaging a retaining-spring b', whose office is to hold the bar in any convenient position while the operator is engaged in adjusting the tumblers and wheels, and also to press the fingers down upon the face of the tumblers when the machine is in operation and to trip the stop or latch j from the pin p of the sliding post when the fingers are all brought into line and registering with the recesses of the tumblers, whereby the sliding post is left free to drop down toits normal position, and the signal is sounded so long as the arm D is actuated, or until the operator lifts up the bell to its position above the reach of the hammer, when the counting is continued, as before, until the tumblers again register with the fingers, when the latter drop into the said recesses of said tumblers and the alarm is repeated. The trip-pin p passes entirely through said sliding post E and its outer end engages in the vertical slot p of the end piece B and its inner end engages the under beveled side of the arm j of the arm J,Whereby the sliding post is guided and the throw thereof is determined. The bellhammer E has a slight sliding movement in the lugs CZ d of the upright end piece B', and its reeu'rved top forms the face of the hammer, with a parallel spur bent downward, which comes in contact with the uppermost extremity of the arm D immediately above the pivotal engagement of the longitudinal pawl-spring F.

By means of this novel arrangement of the various devices constituting this counter, a continuous signalalarm is sounded when the number to which the machine is set shall be reached, or until the bell-post is lifted up and the bell is again locked beyond the reach ofthe hammer, and until the fingers shall again register and fall into the recesses of the tumblers, when the signal is repeated, as before.

I have shown the bell fixed to a sliding post; but it is evident that the bell may have a fixed position upon or adjacent to the sounding-hammer, while the latter may be arranged to slide instead, and, disengaging from a trip of an arm of the bar J, shall sound the continuous alarm signal in substantially the same way.

Having thus fully illustrated and described my invention and described its mode of operation,'wl1ereby its advantages are manifest to those skilled in the arts to which it appertains, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,is-

1. In a counting mechanism .consisting of a series of wheels andl recessed tumblers and means for setting and operating the same, a sliding post supporting a signal-bell and a trip device whereby the releasingbar carrying a series of fingers, when brought into line with a series of recesses of the tumblers, is disengaged from the sliding post, whereby the signal is continuously sounded by the hammer striking the bell carried by said post so long as the counting-machine is in operation, or until the operator shall reset the post or the various counting devices, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a counting mechanism of the class designated, consisting of a series of wheels and recessed tumblers interchangeably locked together and means for operating the same, a sliding post. carrying a trip and a bell, a releasing-bar provided with a series of fingers arranged to register with the series of reeesses of the tumblers when the same are brought into line so as to engage therewith, and a hammer arranged to strike the bell and sound a signal at every pulsation of the actuating-pawl and until the operator responds to the signal-call, substantially as set forth.

In a counting mechanism, a series of wheels and recessed tumblers, means for operating the same, a releasing-bar provided with a series of fingers, and means for holding the said bar away from the face of the tumblers in any desired position while manipulating the tumblers and wheels and for holding the fingers to the faces of the tumblers while the counter is running, in combination with a sliding post carrying a trip and abell, a bell-hammer, and means connected with a moving part of the mechanism with which the counter is used for operating said hammer.

4. In a counting-machine of the class described, the eombinationof aseries of wheels and recessed tumblers and means for operating the same, a releasing bar provided with an eccentric and spring engaging therewith, a series of fingers arranged to register` and fall into the recesses of said tumblers, a sliding post having a trip and carrying a bell, a bellhammer, and means connected with a moving part of the machine with which the counter is used for operating said hammer.

5. In a counting-machine, the combination of the sounding mechanism, a series of wheels and recessed tumblers, means for operating the same, an eceentrically-pivoted releasing bar having a series of fingers `arranged to register with and fall into the recesses of the tumblers, and also having a quadrant, as described, at or near one end, and a spring engaging said quadrant, subt stantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

6. In a counting-machine, the combination, with the counting and. releasing mech- TOO IIC)

anisln, of L signaling; mechanism consisting In Witness whereof I hereunto affix myhmid of :L sliding post having a trip and carrying and signature. a bell, a beILhammer, and means connect-ed with ai inovngpart of the machine with IIOMER M. ALDRIGH. 5 which the counteris being used for Operating said hammer and sounding an alarm, sub- Vitnesses:

stantially as described, and for the purposes PAUL C. RAHN,

specified. W. O. PALMER. 

